How To Cook Fish In Parchment Food

HOW TO COOK: FISH IN PARCHMENT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Place each fish fillet in the center of a 13-inch square of parchment paper. Season fish with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.
• Arrange citrus slices down the length of each fillet, sprinkle with herbs and scatter additional ingredients, if using, over the top.
• Lift the parchment paper on 2 opposite sides to meet in the middle above fish. Tightly fold down paper until it reaches fish, crimping to seal.
• Roll up and crimp the ends to seal. (Be sure the paper is sealed snugly so that steam won't escape during cooking. Secure folds with toothpicks, if you like.)
• Place the packets on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until fish is just cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes for thin fillets like tilapia, and 14 to 16 minutes for thicker fillets like halibut and cod.
• Transfer packets to plates, carefully unwrap and serve.

MAHI MAHI WITH VEGETABLES & GARLIC-CHIVE BUTTER

Steps:

• Make Butter:
• Place butter in a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well-combined.
• Place butter on sheet or parchment or plastic wrap. Use the parchment or plastic wrap to shape the butter into a log and wrap it tightly. Chill until firm, about an hour.
• Make Fish:
• Preheat oven to 400F.
• Fold a large sheet of parchment paper in half. Cut along the seam to create half a heart. Unfold parchment heart and place on baking sheet.
• Place vegetables in a medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Place half the vegetables one one side of each parchment heart. Season fish with salt and pepper and place one fillet on top of each mound of vegetables.
• Arrange two tomato slices on top of each piece of fish.
• Cut two slices of Garlic-Chive Butter, about 1/4-inch thick and place one slice on top of each piece of fish.
• Fold the parchment over and tightly crimp the edges to seal your heart tightly. Repeat with remaining fish filet.
• Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit an additional 5 minutes. Use scissors or a sharp knife to cut open the top of the package. Watch out for the steam!

FILLET OF FISH IN PARCHMENT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425°.
• Oil lightly the center of your Silpat mat set on a baking sheet, or, if you don't have the mat, oil a piece of foil. Scatter the potato slices over the oiled area, then turn them. Salt and pepper lightly. Roast in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, turning once.
• Meanwhile, cut off an 18-inch piece of parchment paper, and fold it in half. Open it up, and on one half place the fish alongside the folded edge, after salting and peppering it on both sides (see illustrations on preceding page and opposite). Pile the zucchini, carrot, scallion, and ginger on top of the fish, salt again lightly, and splash on enough wine to bathe the fillet(s) lightly. After the potato slices have had their 10-minute pre-roasting, arrange them on top or around the edge of the fish and sprinkle the herbs over all. Fold the other half of the parchment over, then fold in the open edge twice, and pleat it all around to make a semicircular airtight package. If it tends to open up where the folded edges meet, secure that place with a binder clip or a large paper clip. Place on the sheet pan, and bake for 12 minutes. If you have a fairly thick fillet, you may need to bake it 1 or 2 minutes more. Test with a skewer; if it goes in easily, the fish is done. Plunk the whole parchment package on a big dinner plate, and enjoy.
• Second Round
• You can make a delicious salad with the remaining fish. Arrange a bed of watercress or young arugula leaves on a salad plate, and set the fish on top. Spoon 2 or 3 tablespoons of Sauce Gribiche over it (see page 160), or, if you don't have that handy, use about 2 tablespoons mayonnaise thinned and tarted up with a little plain yogurt or lemon juice and seasoned with a small, finely chopped cornichon (or part of a dill pickle) and 1/2 teaspoon capers. Garnish with some strips of roasted red pepper-your own (see page 242) or from a jar-a few black olives, and some cherry tomatoes. Or try the Fish Salad recipe on page 157. These are just suggestions. Use your imagination, based on what you may have on hand.

PARCHMENT WRAPPED FISH

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 475 degrees F.
• Cut cooking parchment paper into 6 rectangles measuring 10 by 20 inches each.
• Using a pastry brush, lightly brush one side of each sheet with the butter or oil, or coat with non-stick spray.
• Then fold each rectangle in half to form a square with the greased sides facing each other.
• Set aside.
• If using fresh corn, cut the kernels from the cobs and measure out 1 cup.
• Add the corn (or 1 cup cooked frozen or canned corn) to a large bowl along with the carrots, onions, sweet peppers, fresh chiles and cilantro.
• Open the greased parchment paper and sprinkle half the vegetable mixture, dividing evenly, over one half of each of the parchment rectangles.
• Leave at least a 2 inch border between the vegetable and the edges of the paper.
• Rinse the fish under cold running water and dry with paper towels.
• Place a piece of fish on top of the vegetables on each of the 6 pieces of parchment.
• In a small bowl, mix together the tequila and the lime juice.
• Spoon 2 tablespoons of the tequila mixture over each piece of fish.
• Drizzle each piece of fish with about 1 1/2 tsp.
• of the melted butter and season with salt and the ground ancho or other chile powder.
• Place a slice of lime on each pice of fish, and scatter the remaining vegetables evenly over each of the 6 pieces.
• Refold the parchment paper in half over the fish and vegetable mixture and seal the packets securely by making a series of tight, overlapping folds (about 1 inch folded over) along the edges of each side to form a square.
• Place the packets on a baking sheet and bake until the packets puff up, about 10 minuts.
• Transfer the packets to warm plates, garnish with cilatro leaves, and serve immediately, allowing each to open his or her own packet.
• It is a good idea to have the entire remainder of the meal ready so the packets can go directly from the oven to the table and the meal can begin.
• Be awre that with this cooking method you are unable to test the fisih to see if it is donw.
• You have to rely on judging the cooking time based on minutes per inch of thickness.
• Note that soft-fleshed fish does not work well with this recipe because it cooks too soon.